Three years ago, criminalist Ellie Matthews was
blindsided when a grisly homicide case suddenly became personal. She abandoned the danger and stress of crime
scene investigation for a professorship at a posh private college and never
looked back.

Now, Ellie’s pleasant world is shattered when she
finds the dead body of a female student. The campus is in chaos, reporters are circling
like vultures, and Ellie is trying her best to distance herself from the
situation. Not an easy task when her
closest colleague becomes the prime suspect.

After the college community is rocked by another suspicious
death, Ellie’s mentor, Sheriff Jayne Walsh, convinces her to consult on the
case. Partnered with quick-witted Detective
Nick Baxter, Ellie reluctantly bottles up her personal demons and dives back
into the world she left behind, racing to make sense of the evidence before the
killer strikes again.

Tuesday, 25 April 2017

I'm a big fan of the author Caroline Fardig and have read all of her fabulous romantic comedy mystery books across both her Java Jive series and her Lizzie Hart series.

I'm excited to reveal that the next book in the amazing Java Jive Mystery series is released on April 25th. I've been lucky enough to get my hands on an advance review copy and have read this book before it hits the book shelves - I loved it!

Inspired by her past sleuthing successes, Juliet Langley has officially joined
the ranks of Nashville’s licensed private investigators. Her best friend, Pete
Bennett, doesn’t worry that her detective work might interfere with her
full-time job running his coffeehouse, Java Jive. He just wishes she would
spend her free time rejoining the local music scene instead of tailing cheating
spouses. But when one of Java Jive’s baristas, Shane, asks Juliet to look into
the suspicious death of his fiancée, Pete encourages her to plow full steam
ahead.

Since his fiancée died on the job, Shane suspects that her party-planning
colleagues are up to something criminal—and will do anything to keep it quiet.
After Juliet recruits Pete to go undercover with her at a wedding showcase, she
discovers that white lace and black satin have a way of hiding big, fat
secrets.

If that weren’t enough to fill her plate, her latest P.I. job has her crossing
paths with her ex, Detective Ryder Hamilton. They’re barely on speaking terms,
but to solve the case, they might have to cooperate. No matter where Juliet
goes, she’s brewing up trouble.

CAROLINE FARDIG is the USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR of the
Java Jive Mysteries series and the Lizzie Hart Mysteries series. Fardig's BAD
MEDICINE was named one of the "Best Books of 2015" by Suspense
Magazine. She worked as a schoolteacher, church organist, insurance agent,
funeral parlor associate, and stay-at-home mom before she realized that she
wanted to be a writer when she grew up. Born and raised in a small town in
Indiana, Fardig still lives in that same town with an understanding husband,
two sweet kids, two energetic dogs, and one malevolent cat.

Thursday, 10 November 2016

Caroline Fardig, one of my favorite authors, has just released the latest book in her fabulous Java Jive Mystery series. I was fortunate enough to get an advance copy of this book and I eagerly raced through reading it, keen to catch up with the coffeehouse and the wonderful characters.

I highly recommend both of Caroline's series of mysteries combined with comedy and romance (Java Jive series and the Lizzie Hart series).

About this book:

Coffeehouse manager and reluctant sleuth Juliet Langley returns in
a gripping novel from the bestselling author of Death Before Decaf and Mug
Shot. Just as things are perking up in Nashville, a serial killer sends tensions
foaming over.

Juliet’s personal and
professional lives have recently received an extra jolt of energy. Her romance
with the hunky detective Ryder Hamilton continues to simmer, and business
at Java Jive has never been better. But her good mood quickly turns as stale as
day-old espresso when she finds out that Ryder has been promoted to his
precinct’s homicide division. With him risking his life to catch the worst kind
of criminals, Juliet’s growing sense of unease ignites when a local college
student goes missing.

Suddenly every Nashville
resident is on high alert, especially Juliet’s neighbor Chelsea. Juliet does her
best to calm the girl’s nerves, but her worst fears are confirmed when she finds
Chelsea dead. Even though she tries her best to stay out of it, Juliet’s
involvement puts a strain on Ryder’s first homicide case. The situation soon
becomes even more personal for Juliet and her best friend Pete Bennett when one
of their employees disappears during her shift. As a killer lurks in the
shadows, Juliet, Pete, and Ryder seek out a double shot
of justice.

Monday, 7 November 2016

Hi and welcome to what I hope to be a weekly blog post about movies I have watched and enjoyed. First, let me make a confession, I ADORE Christmas movies, so there may well be quite a few of them cropping up over the next few weeks!Today, I'm starting with 3 of my favorite festive films...The HolidayThis has to be, in my humble opinion, one of the modern Christmas classics. The story of two women who swap homes for the festive season and all of the drama, comedy and romance which follows. I watch this film every year and never grow tired of it.SerendipityThis is another film I simply have to get the DVD off the shelf and watch each Christmas - sometimes I watch it in the middle of the summer too and just wallow in the brilliant festive-ness of it all! The ending is simply perfect...The Twelve Men Of ChristmasThis is a very recent addition to my favorite festive films list. I read and loved the book this film is based on many years ago and was keen to see the movie but it has only just been shown here in the UK on the Movies 24/Christmas 24 channel. There are quite a number of changes in the plot in the film from the original book but I think both are excellent.When die-hard New Yorker and publicist E.J. Baxter (Chenoweth) loses both her high-powered Manhattan job and her lawyer-fiance at her office Christmas party, she winds up taking a job and moving to Montana. To help the local search-and-rescue station raise desperately needed funds, she convinces the male rescue workers to pose for a naked calendar. Along the way, she discovers what really matters to her and wins the heart of one of the pin-ups!

Friday, 4 November 2016

Hi,Welcome to what I'm aiming to be a new weekly feature on my blog - the Friday Book Corner!Each week, I'd like to shine the book spotlight on favorite books I've read over the years, an enjoyable just-finished read, fiction books with themes such as dancing, Christmas, travel, baking, countries or regions such as Scotland or Alaska - and any more ideas which come to mind as I peruse my actual and virtual bookshelves of beloved reads. I do hope you'll join me in celebrating some great books by amazing authors.Right, let's get on to one of my favorite subjects - books!As we are now in November and all of the Christmas decorations, trees and gift ideas are appearing in the stores, I thought I'd share with you three Christmas books I have read and absolutely loved...Dashing Through The Snow by Debbie MacomberI saw the movie of this book on Christmas 24 last year and then enjoyed it so much that I had to get the book to read and keep too. The movie featured one of my favorite actors Andrew W. Walker which added to the enjoyment of the movie!About this book:Ashley Davison, a graduate student in California, desperately wants to spend the holidays with her family in Seattle. Dashiell Sutherland, a former army intelligence officer, has a job interview in Seattle and must arrive by December 23. Though frantic to book a last-minute flight out of San Francisco, both are out of luck: Every flight is full, and there’s only one rental car available. Ashley and Dash reluctantly decide to share the car, but neither anticipates the wild ride ahead.

Sleigh Bells In The Snow by Sarah Morgan

Why do I love this book? Well, it's set in Vermont, for starters. I have always wanted to visit New England but as I live in the UK, unfortunately I've never managed to visit. I love books, movies and TV series based in this area! Sleigh Bells In The Snow also has a glorious mountain resort with lots of equally glorious scenery, lots of laughs, drama, romance and escapism as well.

About this book:

Once upon a time, Christmas was Kayla Green's favorite time of year. Now all the workaholic wants for Christmas is for it to be over—as fast as possible! So when duty calls her to snowy Vermont to close a deal with a new client, Kayla is grateful for an excuse to avoid the holidays for another year.

Jackson O'Neil left a thriving business behind to return home and salvage his family's resort—it's in his blood, and he can't let it fail. Now that he's got marketing whiz Kayla Green working with him to put Snow Crystal on the map, success is on the horizon. The fact they strike enough sparks off each other to power all the Christmas lights in Vermont is just an added bonus.

Kayla might be an expert at her job, but she's out of her depth with Jackson—he makes her crave the happy-ever-after she once dreamed of, and it's terrifying. As the snowflakes continue to swirl, will the woman who doesn't believe in the magic of Christmas finally fall under its spell?

Winter Wonderland by Belinda Jones

This book is one of my favorites because of the setting - the glittering Winter Carnival in Quebec City in Canada. I was lucky enough to spend 10 days touring around eastern Canada some twenty years ago and I absolutely fell in love with the country, the people and the scenery. We visited Niagara, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, lots of places along the way and, of course, the stunning old town area of Quebec. It was the month of May when we visited so there was no snow or ice to savor on that occasion but I thought how amazing the place must look during the annual Winter Carnival. This book captures all of the excitement of the event and makes you feel as though you are there as you enjoy the sights and sounds along with the book's star, the travel journalist Krista. As a former travel agent I'm always keen to read books where I get to learn about new cultures and countries and love doing a spot of armchair travel! Along with the amazing setting and lots of fun and excitement, there's also plenty of romance in this story too...About this book:

Imagine waking up in a snow globe...That's how travel journalist Krista feels when she arrives in magical Quebec to report on Canada's glittering Winter Carnival. Over ten sub-zero days Krista's formerly frozen heart begins to melt as she discovers an enchanting world of ice palaces, husky dog-sledding and maple-syrup treats galore. And then she meets Jacques, a man as handsome and rugged as he is mysterious...The two share a secret that could bond them forever, but can they find a way to break through the protective layers around their hearts to warm up this winter wonderland? ...let the snow-spangled adventure begin

I'll share more of my favorite festive reads with you next week - in the meantime, have a great weekend!Zannax